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Hard to Find Books - Rare and Hard to Find Books

The legendary Hard to Find Bookstore (although it didn't have a name then) began in a garage in John Street, Ponsonby in 1983. In 1984 it moved to a store in Onehunga (now David Tua's boxing gym), and in 1988 to the current Onehunga location. The Hard to Find Books Online website debuted in 1998 although we had been selling books online since 1997. Now you can find over 115,000 books in our online catalogue, plus our books are listed on overseas websites - with a worldwide following keeping an eye on what we offer.

Please note: Internet stock is held in Dunedin

What you can expect to find in our online bookshop is internationally competitive prices for a huge range of books that cover most subjects imaginable: for the collector of rare or valuable books and first editions through to those wanting car manuals (we have the largest second-hand range online in New Zealand) or an affordable good old-fashioned read, Hard to Find often has books that have faded from public view…and here’s the place where you might find them.

Warwick Jordan – the founder behind the bookshop

Warwick is obsessed with books and reading. His love of literature started when he was young - he won a writing prize at the age of ten - and has continued well beyond his five years at Waikato University where he gained a Masters in Literature.

After a slight career deviation into high rise window cleaning and three years on PEP East Coast Bays Council labouring scheme where he began as a labourer and ended up the only non-tradesman supervisor, Warwick continued his love affair with books managing a bookshop in Victoria St market for a couple of years before developing his own hand-operated letterpress printing and publishing business, Hard Echo Press, originally started in 1978.

Hard Echo Press has been on hiatus since 1991, but The Hard to Find Bookshop has consolidated its presence as one of New Zealand’s best secondhand bookshops, and Warwick is currently concentrating on Hard to Find Books Online and developing the Dunedin store... which he hopes will include a railway system inside it, with trains travelling between rooms via tunnels in the walls. One thing that never changes is Warwick’s passion for the treasure hunt to find books that excite both readers and collectors.

With his years of experience, he knows the value of books as pleasurable acquisitions or as old friends, and also from a commercial viewpoint (often intrinsic value can be at variance with financial value, and in Warwick's opinion nothing trumps sentimental value).

Shalon Ewington

Shalon is our North Island Manager. She has been the senior bookbuyer and manager of our Onehunga store for more than 20 years.

Tessa

Tessa is co-manager of our Dunedin store

Ruth

Ruth works in our Dunedin store all weekdays

Brendan

assistant manager in our Onehunga store

Cobi

Cobi started off in our Dunedin store, but has migrated to our Auckland store

Athol and Errol

Athol and Errol have been tireless exemplary employees. Currently they care for a store each... although no one is quite sure what they do

Richard

Richard deals with our complaints (who's going to argue with him!). He is currently 195 years old (2016)